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David Attenborough joined Instagram. Four hours later he had 1 million followers 09/25/2020 08:30am • Naturalist and TV host David Attenborough has claimed the record for shortest time to reach 1 million followers on Instagram, racking up the numbers just hours after joining the social media platform Thursday. The veteran broadcaster's first post — a video warning about climate change — was p Montgomery County renters report illegal increases during pandemic 09/24/2020 11:42pm • Some Montgomery County, Maryland, residents are complaining of illegal rent increases during the pandemic, despite a 2.6% cap on rent hikes approved by the county council in April. The Montgomery County Renters Alliance said residents of The Enclave Silver Spring on Oak Leaf Drive in White Oak ha DC's highest court grants bar exam waiver for recent law school grads 09/24/2020 08:00pm • D.C. is joining four other states in giving certain law school graduates a pass on taking the bar exam to practice law because of COVID-19. In a 4-3 ruling, the D.C. Court of Appeals is offering an "emergency examination waiver," better known to insiders as "diploma privilege," to skip the test. MCPS may make mental health days excused absences during pandemic 09/24/2020 07:59am • The Montgomery County School Board may start giving students in Maryland's largest school system excused absences to take mental health days during the pandemic. A resolution to allow students to take mental health days was introduced during Wednesday night's hearing. "I'd like to bring forwar Maryland teacher marks 6 months since coronavirus nearly killed him 09/24/2020 05:11am • Jason Flanagan, an English teacher at High Point High School in Beltsville, is back at work and teaching virtual classes, but earlier this year the Maryland man was in bad shape during a battle with the coronavirus that nearly killed him. Thursday marks six months since the 39-year-old from Frede How to prevent fires at home as weather gets chilly 09/24/2020 03:47am • As those chilly, crisp fall nights have you adjusting the thermostat, making more hot meals or maybe even having candles on the table, a Montgomery County, Maryland, fire official urges caution. All of those things can also spark fires, and Pete Piringer, Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service Protesters gather in DC after grand jury reveals decision on killing of Breonna Taylor 09/24/2020 02:53am • (EDITOR'S NOTE: The above video may contain offensive language.) People in D.C. and in other parts of the U.S. gathered Wednesday night to protest the recent grand jury decision that brought no charges to Louisville police for the killing of Breonna Taylor. Crowds initially gathered at the Jus DC children's advocacy group calls for extension of current child care subsidy payment 09/23/2020 07:00pm • This story is part of “Parenting in a Pandemic,” WTOP’s continuing coverage of how parents are dealing with child care, schooling and more through the coronavirus pandemic. When coronavirus lockdown orders were imposed in D.C. last March, some child care providers were still qualified to re Md. lawmakers subpeona ex-Hogan aide over severance payout 09/23/2020 06:32pm • For the first time in its 14-year history, a special review panel of Maryland lawmakers unanimously voted to issue a subpoena to force a former aide to Gov. Larry Hogan to testify. The move came after Roy McGrath refused to answer questions about a nearly quarter-million-dollar severance package Montgomery Co. warns of ‘COVID fatigue,' appeals for more residents to get tested 09/23/2020 04:19pm • While COVID-19 testing is rebounding in Montgomery County over the past week or so, officials on Wednesday warned of “COVID fatigue” and said the numbers are still lower than they need to be to keep track of the virus. While Health Officer Dr. Travis Gayles said testing was inching back up in Metro makes 'substantial progress' with safety concerns identified in audit 09/23/2020 07:00am • Metro made "substantial progress" in addressing safety concerns raised in a recent audit, but has work to do in confronting a reportedly toxic workplace culture, the Washington Metrorail Safety Commission said Tuesday. At a Tuesday evening commission meeting, Washington Metrorail Safety Commissio Loudoun County students urge education officials to reopen schools soon 09/23/2020 04:11am • Loudoun County, Virginia, students implored education officials to reopen classrooms at a school board meeting Tuesday night, invoking the stresses of distance learning since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic. Some of the kids needed step stools to reach the microphone during the school board's Fairfax Co. votes to allow some in-person classes starting in October 09/23/2020 01:34am • The Fairfax County School Board voted Tuesday night to allow some students in the Virginia county to resume in-person learning in October. The plan, which Superintendent Scott Brabrand introduced, calls for about 3.5% of students and teachers to participate in what the county is calling in-person Johns Hopkins health experts emphasize importance of flu shots, warn of flu, coronavirus 'twin-demic' 09/22/2020 10:57pm • Health experts from Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore are warning of a flu and coronavirus "twin-demic," and they are urging people to get their flu shots so as not to overwhelm an already stretched-out health care system. "Flu, itself, is a significant public health burden on the system ever Playing and praying: Montgomery County tweaks COVID-19 restrictions 09/22/2020 04:48pm • The Montgomery County Council approved tweaks to COVID-19 restrictions that relax some of the existing rules, to allow more people to pray at houses of worship and let kids play outdoor sports without masks in the Maryland county. "The new guidance we're getting today on religious institutions --